Chapter 22
CHAPTER 22
S ullivan’s eyes lit when he caught sight of them. “My new favorite couple!” he announced and clapped Roth on the shoulder with a fondness that had Colette’s eyes flaring and Lyle’s narrowing. “Glad you all could make it. Dinner will be announced within the hour. Enjoy yourselves.” Sullivan bowed gallantly to her. “Thank you for the dance and the stimulating conversation. We’ll meet again.”
With that, Sullivan strolled away. He took a few steps before unceremoniously plucking a man’s glass out of his hand and taking a healthy gulp before handing it back and walking away without saying a word.
“Enjoying your time in the limelight?” Lyle drawled.
She switched her attention from the eccentric patriarch of the Trentham clan to her brother-in-law and gave him a baleful glare. He knew damn well she hated being the center of attention. She had the childish urge to kick him.
“What a debut!” Colette gushed.
“I don’t know what the hell just happened,” she muttered.
“Language,” Colette said mildly, but her eyes were sparkling. “Seems to me Sullivan just gave you his stamp of approval. Bravo.” Colette arched her brows at Roth. “Close friend of the Trenthams, are you?”
“Colleagues.”
“Colleagues,” Lyle scoffed. “How the fuck?—?”
“Language,” Colette said again before she was tapped on the shoulder by a glamorous woman in her forties.
As Colette and the woman greeted one another with air-kisses, a familiar face appeared in the crowd.
Jasmine straightened. “Mr. Weinberg.”
The real-estate mogul, Len Weinberg, had aged drastically since she last saw him. She prepared to take a step forward to greet him before it occurred to her he could be one of the men on Roth’s blacklist.
“It’s been too long, missy,” Len said with a kind smile before he extended his hand to Roth. “Welcome to the big leagues, son.”
She let out a relieved breath when Roth shook his hand. Len had been associated with her dad, but apparently, he hadn’t participated in ruining Roth’s livelihood.
“Beginning of the New Year, we’ll have lunch,” Len said to Roth before someone hailed him. “Nice seeing you two. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other.”
And just like that, Roth was in.
Seven years ago, Roth met Len Weinberg at her father’s party. Just getting an introduction had been an honor, and now one of the wealthiest men in the city had gone out of his way to acknowledge Roth and invite him to a private lunch that was guaranteed to lead to lucrative business deals. Colette was right. Sullivan had given them his endorsement, and everyone was following his lead.
As Len Weinberg disappeared into the crowd, he was replaced by Lyle’s boss, Desmond Simons.
“I was hoping to see you here tonight,” Desmond said to Roth before he focused on Jasmine. “I wasn’t able to catch you when you visited Lyle at the office.”
“I was just passing through.” What they would have said to each other she had no idea. They had met only once before, but apparently, that was enough. According to Lyle, Desmond had a photographic memory and used it to great effect. He was a master networker.
“My wife, Ginevra, is here somewhere. You and Colette should do lunch with her.”
She knew it wasn’t a suggestion. “That sounds lovely.”
“Excellent.” Desmond’s gaze shifted to her right. “You look stunning as usual, Colette. How’s little Polara? Lyle’s been showing the whole office photos.”
“She’s perfect. It was hard leaving her this evening.”
“You should enjoy this stage while it lasts,” Desmond said genially before switching his attention back to Roth, who was speaking to two men who looked vaguely familiar to her. Lyle was handling introductions. Desmond edged forward to get in on the action.
When she felt a tug on her dress, she stepped back. She was started when Roth’s head whipped around. She gave him a reassuring smile to show she wasn’t going far and patted his arm, so he’d pay attention to the men in front of him who clearly wanted his attention.
Under her breath, she muttered, “Ari?”
“Didn’t get an invitation,” Colette said in the same low undertone. “She attended last year. I think they do one couple per family, since they know we all do business together. Has Roth told you who he needs to meet?”
“No.”
“White whales are Christoph Braun, seventy-six, owns the largest sea-freight forwarder. Wife’s name is Elsa, but he’s here with his son, who’s taking over the business. He hasn’t come to a ball in nearly a decade. He’s establishing the son before he steps down. Son may be just as reclusive as his father, so it’s worth making yourself known to him now. Mikhail Belikov is a self-made private equity investor. Estimated net worth is ten billion. Made his fortune from digital payments and banking services. He’s thirty-five and extremely private. I’ve heard he knows Igor, so make sure you bring him up if you manage to cross paths with him. Another white whale is...” Colette broke off and straightened. “Octavia! How are you? It’s been ages, hasn’t it? Have you met my sister, Jasmine Roth?”
Octavia, heir to a fashion empire, was a bubbly delight. She fawned over the draping on Jasmine’s dress and congratulated her on the upcoming spread in Vogue for her wedding gown. Apparently, she and Daiyu were friendly rivals.
“Are you interested in our brand? We’d love to dress you as well. Why let Daiyu have all the fun?” Octavia gave her an arch look. “After the holidays, we’ll talk, yes?”
Before she could respond, Octavia spotted a dress that made her gasp and spent the next two minutes applauding the fashion choices in the room while also dropping a ton of useful gossip before she flounced off.
“The governor’s here,” Colette said, picking up right where she left off in her briefing. “We just saw him at Dad’s funeral, but make sure you introduce Roth. You never know when you’ll need to make that call. There are dignitaries from all over the world, so depending on which countries Roth’s doing business, you may want to seek them out. Touch base with the tech giants—Azim, David, Andreas. Of course, mention Rami’s name, though I’m sure most of them are aware Roth’s now part of the family. Make sure you greet Art Thomson. The wife had an affair, and they’re going through a nasty divorce, so don’t ask after the family. Pamela, granddaughter of Edward Grand III, is now running Grand Investments. She’s doing excellent work. There are quite a few royals present, religious figures, former presidents...” Colette gripped Jasmine’s arm. “The bald man with the handlebar mustache standing next to the woman in pink—that’s Amos Faulkner. I’m sure Roth will want to talk to him. He owns...” Colette broke off as two women broke through the crowd. “I knew I’d see you here!”
Colette introduced her to the wife of a South Korean businessman and the daughter of the Ellis hotel chain. They socialized for a few minutes before the women were swept away by another group. Colette had less than thirty seconds to point out a few heads of state before another handful of ladies approached. She eased half a step back, assuming they wanted to speak to Colette. It took a minute for her to realize she was their target. They showered her with compliments on her dance with Sullivan, her dress, jewelry and congratulated her on her recent nuptials. She was in a minor state of shock. She’d never been the one people sought out at events like this. She was usually on the sidelines, helping others make connections. Sullivan put a spotlight on her and she wasn’t sure how to feel about it. This all felt like some bizarre misunderstanding.
She touched perfumed cheeks with nearly a dozen women—heirs, entrepreneurs, and the wives of the most influential and powerful men in the world. Colette was a rock at her side handling introductions and guiding the conversation while cleverly extracting useful information while avoiding anything too personal or invasive.
Zoe, the heir to the De Vries diamond fortune, brushed her finger over her emerald-cut diamond bracelet. “This is exquisite.”
She extended her hands so Zoe could get a better look at her jewelry. She flushed when Zoe touched the ruby ring, which had turned right-side up.
“A sentimental ring,” she said dismissively and touched her necklace to draw Zoe’s attention to it. “Roth surprised me with this set this evening.”
“A very generous gift,” Zoe said sagely, leaning in to inspect the necklace. “Phenomenal work. I’d estimate its value is around fifty million.”
She felt as if she’d been doused with cold water. “Fifty?”
Zoe took in the way the color drained from her face and let out a tinkling laugh. “Don’t be distressed, lieve . Your husband is honoring you, as he should.” She tapped Jasmine’s bracelet. “I’m going to have mercy on you and keep the price of this to myself. Enjoy being spoiled by your husband. That’s your right.”
Before she could digest that, Zoe was nabbed by her husband, leaving Jasmine with Colette, who resumed her briefing. She had trouble paying attention after that bombshell, but it wasn’t long before they were interrupted again, this time by Lyle.
“You’re taking her?” she hissed when Lyle wrapped his arm around Colette.
“Business,” Lyle said and chucked her under the chin. “Behave.”
She seriously considered kicking him, but Colette’s encouraging smile killed the urge.
“You got this,” Colette mouthed before Lyle led her around the dance floor.
Jasmine quelled the initial burst of panic at being abandoned by her all-knowing sister. She glanced at Roth. During the wave of introductions, she’d drifted a short distance from him. Now he was speaking to two men. She wasn’t sure whether to go her own way and allow him to conduct business in private or stand by and be a silent support.
After a slight hesitation, she approached the group. If he didn’t need her, she’d excuse herself and socialize on her own like the other wives. She touched his back to alert him of her presence before coming up alongside him. She smiled graciously at the men, whose gazes immediately fixed on her.
“Sorry to interrupt,” she said, and wasn’t surprised when both men waved that away.
“We met a long time ago,” one of the men said. “I don’t know if you remember...?”
“Barry Pratt? We bumped into each other at that gala at the Waldorf Astoria. Your wife’s name is Renee?”
His eyes widened. “Yes, that’s right. You have an excellent memory.”
“I try. Is your wife here?”
“Yes, she’s over there holding court with some of her friends.”
“Great. Maybe I’ll...” She started to excuse herself until Roth grasped her hand and squeezed. “I’ll catch up with her later,” she finished.
She settled at his side, content to people-watch before she registered that an awkward silence had fallen. Both men were looking to Roth to carry on the conversation, but he was mute.
“Roth recently made New York his base instead of London, so he won’t be traveling so much,” she said breezily. “What about you two? Are you still traveling throughout the year for business?”
It wasn’t the best save, but it did the job. Barry and the other man, Orlando, both traveled often—what billionaire didn’t? It took less than a minute for them to hit on a mutual contact in London that all three of them knew well. Before they left, Barry and Orlando extended invitations to meet up for dinner after the New Year.
She and Roth didn’t even have time to exchange a word before three men who had been waiting for their chance to get an introduction pounced. There seemed to be an invisible receiving line in front of them. The minute one person stepped aside, one or two replaced him. The sheer amount of people vying for Roth’s attention was overwhelming. Her training churned to the surface. Between Colette’s briefing, her upbringing in society, and Roth’s knowledge of the business world, it was easy to find connections and keep the conversation rolling although she had to feed Roth a question or topic when he’d been quiet for too long.
Several wives tried to separate her and Roth so the men could discuss business. This wasn’t out of the ordinary, but Roth wasn’t having it. Like he had on the night they met, he refused to let her go. He had her clamped to his left side so he could shake with his right. When a sports mogul made a joke of it, Roth didn’t crack a smile or loosen his hold. In the awkward silence that followed she admitted, “I had a little panic attack when we arrived, so he’s making sure I’m okay and that I don’t sneak away and abandon him.”
The chuckles that followed were a relief. She didn’t want to risk offending anyone in this crowd if she could help it.
When she turned to the sports mogul’s wife, she was startled by the envy in her expression before it was replaced by a polished smile that wasn’t dazzling enough to detract from her sad eyes.
They were talking to brothers who managed a brokerage firm when she sensed Roth’s rising tension. She didn’t know what was causing it, but when he squeezed her hip, she took a wild guess. She braced her hand on his abdomen and waved at no one in particular before giving the brothers an apologetic smile.
“I’m so sorry. I see someone Roth has to meet.”
“No, of course. It was great speaking with you. Roth, you have our number.”
Thirty seconds later, they parted ways.
“What is it?” she murmured.
“I spotted Mikhail Belikov.”
“The self-made private equity investor worth ten billion?” she surmised, nodding. “Colette thought you might want to touch bases with him. He’s one of the white whales.”
“What’s a white whale?”
“Someone reclusive who doesn’t attend many functions. This will probably be your only opportunity to make a connection with them since they generally steer clear of society.”
When he didn’t speak, she glanced up. He had an odd look on his face.
“How did Colette say Mikhail made his fortune?”
“Digital payments and banking services.” She cocked her head. “Is that inaccurate? Did she get the wrong information?”
“Who else is a white whale?” he asked abruptly.
“Christoph Braun, and she thought you might want to talk to someone named Amos...?”
“Faulkner,” Roth finished thoughtfully.
She raised her brows. “Is he on your list?”
“Maybe she isn’t useless after all.”
Her spine snapped as she straightened. “My sister’s anything but useless.”
“I’ll be the judge of that,” he said as he moved through the crowd.
Again, he didn’t look to the left or the right but was locked on his target, who happened to be across the room. She saw men raise their hands to catch Roth’s attention, but he ignored them. She acknowledged them with a nod and an apologetic smile to smooth any ruffled feathers. She considered coaching Roth on how to conduct himself in this crowd, but knew it was no use. Seven years hadn’t changed his manners—he just dressed better.
She pressed against his back. “What happened at the board meeting today?”
“That doesn’t concern you,” he said shortly.
The brush-off stung, but she persisted. “Did you convince the board to give my sisters more time to make up for their losses?” She bumped into him when he came to an abrupt stop.
“Mikhail.”
She swallowed her irritation and came up on Roth’s side to get a look at one of the white whales of the evening. Messy dark hair fell across Mikhail’s brow. He had moody blue-gray eyes, and his lips were set in a straight line. Despite the immaculate tux, she got the distinct impression he was uncomfortable and wished he was anywhere but here. The fact that he was in a corner of the ballroom, not circulating, supported her theory.
“Roth.” Mikhail offered his hand. “We finally meet.”
She wasn’t sure what tack to take with the man, since he wasn’t giving any good social cues. Roth didn’t bother making observations about the party, weather, or asking if Mikhail had flown in. He cut to the chase and asked about some recent deal Mikhail had done with a man named Ilya, which made the billionaire’s mouth quirk in appreciation.
She listened closely to their conversation. The fact Roth had questioned how Mikhail made his fortune suggested it wasn’t from digital payments and banking services. She listened for several minutes, but she couldn’t make heads nor tails of what they were talking about. Although this was supposedly their first meeting, they referred to mutual acquaintances by their first names only. On the surface, it sounded like they were discussing industry and economy, but the speed with which they were speaking gave her the impression they were talking about something else entirely.
After a few minutes, she gave up. She wanted to excuse herself to seek sanctuary in the bathroom for a much-needed break. Her face felt tight from the megawatt smile she’d plastered on. She was dying for a notepad and pen to jot down notes on those she’d met and promised to reach out to after the holidays. She wished she had her cell phone. Roth had his in his jacket pocket. Would he let her borrow it? She inwardly scoffed.
She scanned the crowd and tried not to make eye contact. She didn’t want to inadvertently summon someone and interrupt Roth’s strangely intense conversation with Mikhail. There were a handful of familiar faces, but the vast majority were strangers to her. Her eyes passed over a group of men and almost immediately came back. Samuel Mortimer, a close friend of her father’s, was speaking to Warren, a crotchety old man who spread misery everywhere he went. People put up with him because he was a whiz at making money, but she would rather be in a lower tax bracket than do business with such a curmudgeon.
One of the men left the circle, revealing a familiar face that made her feel like she was in free fall. Ford? The shock was so great it took her several seconds to register the lighter hair and shorter stature of Ford’s older brother, Tucker Baldwin. As their eyes locked, his expression morphed into one of such blatant hostility that she took a step back.
“Jasmine?”
Roth and Mikhail had broken off their conversation and were giving her their undivided attention. She concealed her distress behind a brilliant smile and focused on Mikhail. “I hear you know my good friend, Igor.”
Mikhail blinked. “How do you know Igor?”
“His wife, Kira, is one of my best friends. She’s coming for a visit in a few months. If you’re still in the country, you should join us.”
Mikhail’s brows drew together. “It’s possible. I travel frequently from Germany to the States.”
She filed that away for future reference. “Roth does a lot of business in Germany. I’m surprised you two haven’t had a chance to meet.”
Roth grasped her hand and brought it to his mouth. To Mikhail and other observers, it looked like she was getting a kiss when he nipped her skin for prying.
“I’m rarely in one place for long. Our schedules have never allowed us to talk in person until this moment.”
Roth took control of the conversation before she could squeeze more information from Mikhail. She was grateful, because her stomach was in knots. She’d known there was a possibility a Baldwin would be here, but she’d assumed it would be their father, Parker. Roth mentioned Ford had moved out of the country, but he could have come back for this event. Was he here and she hadn’t crossed paths with him yet? She frantically began to search the crowd, even going up on tiptoes to see over everyone’s heads, until she realized she had Roth’s undivided attention. She dropped onto her heels and forced herself to stare at Mikhail, though she didn’t hear a word he said.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a man headed in their direction. She ignored him until he was almost upon her. She mentally braced and turned with a vacant smile that vanished when she saw Daiyu’s father, Shen Wu.
“Mr. Wu.” She bowed her head respectfully and would have done the traditional fist-and-palm salute if her hand wasn’t being held captive in Roth’s.
“It’s been many years since we’ve seen one another,” he said in Mandarin.
Since Roth was still speaking to Mikhail, she didn’t have to translate and responded in the same language. “Too long.” She looked past him. “Is Daiyu here?” If she was, she might be tempted to strangle her childhood friend in the bathroom.
Shen gave her a sharp look. “Of course not. She has no impulse control, and her manners are atrocious.” He shook his head. “I shouldn’t have allowed her to spend so much time in the United States.”
“Daiyu’s unique and expressive.”
He grunted and surveyed her dress. “This is hers?” When she nodded, he sniffed. “It’s too revealing, but the tailoring is unrivaled.”
His reluctant respect for his daughter reminded her so much of her father that she suppressed a smile.
“You got her wedding gown in Vogue . That’s been a dream of hers since she was a little girl.”
“She deserves it.”
He gave a dignified nod. “She has talent. I’ll be back for her show in February. I hear you’re walking in it.”
“I didn’t agree to that.”
He cocked a brow. “Why not?”
She resisted the urge to squirm. When she was a kid, she didn’t know who was more intimidating—Daiyu’s father or hers. Both had terrible tempers. She was an adult now. Shen wouldn’t yell at her like he did when he caught her and Daiyu beneath the dessert table when they were five, but that didn’t stop her instinctive wariness and a compulsion to please, which was disturbingly strong even after all this time.
“I’m not sure I want to walk in a fashion show,” she said, striving for diplomacy.
“Why not?” he repeated.
She resisted the urge to use her hands to talk, grateful Roth still had a hold of one so she wouldn’t reveal her nervousness to a man who naturally brought it out in her. “I’m not a model, and I don’t want the attention,” she said a tad defiantly.
He eyed her for a long moment before he said, “I understand you don’t strive for the spotlight like my Daiyu. While I wish she had chosen a different profession, I see that she enjoys designing clothes, and it’s led to many profitable opportunities. If you walked in her show, I would be in your debt.”
Mr. Wu in her debt? That was nothing to take lightly. “I...”
“I’ll see you there,” he said as if she’d agreed, and shifted his attention to Roth, who was watching them. “Roth.” When he inclined his head, Mr. Wu glanced at her and said in rapid Mandarin, “It was a pleasure seeing you, but you should plan a visit so you can brush up on the language. Your Mandarin is lacking.”
She resisted the urge to throw her hands up in the air as he walked away. Her father’s cronies never missed the opportunity to criticize her about something.
“What was that about?” Roth asked.
“He was roasting my Mandarin and emotionally blackmailing me to walk in Daiyu’s show. You concluded your business with Mikhail?” The white whale had melted into the crowd.
Roth frowned and held up her right hand and brushed his thumb over the ruby heart that had replaced her original wedding ring. “What the fuck is this?”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw several heads turn at his coarse language. She maintained her bright smile while her eyes shot daggers at him.
“Language,” she warned as she yanked her hand from his grasp. “Who else do you need to meet this evening besides Amos Faulkner?”
“Who gave you that ruby ring?”
“It was my mother’s.”
“Why did you take off your wedding ring?”
“I didn’t,” she said and flashed the rock on her left hand, the only one she was required to wear.
Roth’s expression darkened. “That’s not the ring I’m talking about.”
She couldn’t believe he was harping on this. “Focus,” she said through clenched teeth. “Who else is on your list of people to meet tonight?” When he just stared at her she said, “Colette suggested I introduce you to the governor unless you’ve already met him?” When he didn’t respond, she nodded. “I’ll make sure to pull him aside if we run across him and depending on which countries you’re doing business in, it would be wise to approach dignitaries from those?—”
“Where’s the ring, Jasmine?”
“What do you care?” she snapped and ratcheted up her smile when she made eye contact with an elderly woman leaning on a cane who was staring straight at her. She swallowed her ire. This wasn’t the time or place. They couldn’t be seen arguing on their first night in high society. She tried to get them back on track. “Who are those men you studied and emulated? Did you meet them yet?”
“When did you take it off?”
Her hand balled into a fist. What did that matter?
“Jasmine.”
He was such a bulldog when he wanted something. She raised her chin and met his searing gaze. “I took it off when you broke your promise.”
He didn’t look away or express any sign of discomfort at the accusation.
“It was only a matter of time before you went back to your old habits and put business first.” She gave a one shoulder shrug as her chest burned. “And I went back to being just a prop. As you so kindly reminded me this morning, I have a quota to fill for you to get your money’s worth, so let’s get to it, shall we?”
Her pulse leapt as his expression hardened into those cruel lines she knew all too well. She stepped back to defuse the situation just as two men ambled forward. She turned with a slightly rabid smile, ready to entertain even Warren to avoid dealing with Roth, but her mask melted into one of genuine delight when she saw her friends.
“Julius? Matthew!”
Impulsively, she threw herself into Julius’s arms. The moment she closed her arms around him, she knew she’d just made a bad situation ten times worse, but it was too late now. She compounded her sins by hugging Matthew too. She barely had time to register that neither of her friends had returned her hug when Roth grasped her nape in a stinging grip and forced her to step back. Her friends looked ill at ease and were focused on Roth, who buried his face in her hair and took deep breaths. They were waiting for Roth to speak, but he didn’t seem inclined to talk. She decided to fill the void.
“I didn’t know you would be here!”
Her voice was so high, both men flinched.
“We wanted to offer our congratulations on your marriage.” Julius’s tone was wooden and rehearsed, as if he were reading from a teleprompter. “And to make sure there are no hard feelings.”
She frowned and opened her mouth, but Roth’s grip tightened, warning her to stay silent.
“If you remember who she belongs to, we won’t have any problems,” Roth growled.
She stiffened, unable to believe her ears, but neither Julius nor Matthew looked surprised, just resigned. As she opened her mouth to respond to Roth’s outrageous, uncalled-for statement, Sullivan appeared beside them.
“Dinner.”